Simple Carbs Useful?
When you work out, you break down your glycogen levels in your muscles (your muscle’s primary source of fuel). To adapt to this, your muscles recover and build back up a little stronger than before so that that same stress doesn’t deplete you as much. After you workout, your energy supply is low and you need to fill it up again. The faster that you do this, the better and quicker your body will recover.
This is where simple carbohydrates come in. After you workout, you have induced insulin sensitivity. Take advantage of this. Eat or drink something high in the GI. They will convert very quickly and be sent directly to your muscle and fuel storages that you depleted. This gives your body a jumpstart to maintaining homeostasis again. The hormone that sends these nutrients to your muscles is called insulin
You can take advantage of this “insulin spike” by taking your protein during this critical period. The insulin spike created by the simple sugars will quickly transport your protein to the necessary locations. This is why your post workout meal is very critical to recovery – so never waste your 30 minutes following your workout!
What is an ideal post workout meal? There are many examples of effective post workout meals and shakes available online, but the general guideline is this: .5g/lb of bodyweight of high GI food/drink with .25g/lb of bodyweight of protein (fast absorbing whey is optimum). I even read somewhere that chocolate milk is an excellent post workout alternative, I guess that could be the simplest solution, but I personally like my Gatorade / Protein Shake.
So why? Why are we so sensitive to high GI foods? Why are low carb diets better for us? Why isn’t our body designed so that simple carbs are better for us? The answer lies within our ancestry.
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- Bodybuilders and Power Lifters
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- The Basics of Building Muscle
